SURVEY OF WORLD DRAMA                                                     Mrs. Brown

2003-2004                                                                                            GHS Room 127

                                                                                                                       

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course is an explanation of drama from many cultures and ages that begins in Ancient Greece and extends into the 21st century.  Students will participate in reading, discussing, and analyzing these works as literature and theatre.  Students will attend live performances and view recorded ones as they discuss various interpretations of each play.  While emphasis in this course is on reading and writing about drama, there will be some opportunities for students to perform.

 

COURSE OUTLINE:

Please noteàChanges and modifications to this syllabus will be made at the discretion of the teacher.

The material in this course is organized primarily according to time period & culture.  Overlap occurs as we discuss and compare theatre from different cultures and as we trace developments and changes in theatre.

First Semester:            Basic concepts & terms associated with theatre

Ancient & classical theatre (Greece, Rome, Asia)

European theatre:  Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration,        Romanticism, Naturalism, & Realism

Second Semester:        Basic concepts & terms associated with theatre

                                    Early North American theatre

                                    Musical Theatre

                                    New Approaches: Brechtian theatre, Theatre of Cruelty

                                    Modern American realism

Non-realistic theatre forms

Contemporary American, Latin American and African theatre

Additional topics:       The Business of Theatre, Evaluating Theatre, current topics

 

MATERIALS:  The following items should be brought to class daily unless otherwise noted.

ü      GHS Agenda—This is your hall pass as well as a place to record assignment information.

ü      Writing Utensils: Pencil and/or pen with blue or black ink.

ü      Required book (as indicated by the teacher).

ü      Notebook.  I recommend a 3-ring binder with loose-leaf notebook paper.

ü      Highlighter, whiteout product, and personal hole puncher, stapler, etc. are supplies that are recommended but not required.

All assignments should be completed in pencil or blue or black ink unless otherwise specified by the teacher.  Assignments should not be submitted on paper torn from a spiral notebook. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in point deductions on the assignment.

 

EVALUATION:

20%                 Daily work including classwork, homework, and participation

35%                 Quizzes, writing assignments, and projects as indicated by the teacher

45%                 Tests, projects & presentations, formal writing assignments, and projects as                         indicated by the teacher

Assignments that combine these elements will be detailed for the student.  For instance, a major project may include classwork grades as well as a writing or presentation grade.

*A variety of extra credit opportunities will be provided during the year.*

 

GHS GRADING SCALE:                            CALCULATING SEMESTER GRADES:

A                     92-100                                                 quarter grade  X   2

B                      84-91                                                   quarter grade  X   2

C                     75-83                                                   + exam grade   X   1

D                     67-74                                                               Total / 5 = Semester grade

F                      66  and below                               Final grade= each semester counts 50%

 

CLASS RULES:

1.      ALL GHS RULES & POLICIES APPLY AND WILL BE ENFORCED.

2.      Students are expected to be respectful and courteous to others at all times.

3.      Students are expected to arrive at class prepared—this means on time with the appropriate materials, with all homework and assigned reading completed, and ready for discussion.  CLASS BEGINS WHEN THE TARDY BELL RINGS.

4.      Please refrain from eating in class.  Eat snacks & lunch during lunchtime! (EXCEPTION: You may have water, juice, coffee, etc. preferably in spill-proof containers.  No glasses or ceramic mugs, please! Clean up after yourself.)

5.      Students are encouraged to take restroom and water breaks between classes or during lunch, and such breaks during instructional time will be discouraged.

 

ATTENDANCE, MAKEUP, and LATE WORK POLICIES:

Students are expected to be familiar with the GHS policies regarding attendance, tardiness, and makeup work as outlined in the Student Handbook.  THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR SENIORS!!!  Poor attendance can affect your exam exemption status.

 

IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT NOTES AND ASSIGNMENTS WERE MISSED DURING AN ABSENCE.  Students should get notes, assignments, etc. from a classmate.  Check the class folder and notebook for your class period (located on the front board) for information. 

 

IMPORTANT:  Make-up work is not accepted in the case of unexcused tardies, unexcused absences, or suspension.  In such instances, a student  may complete work and submit it to keep up with material, but a grade of “0” will be recorded.  This includes unannounced quizzes and other work given during class time or previously assigned work that is collected on the day of an absence or tardy as described above. 

 

Late work will occasionally be accepted on daily work assignments (5 points will be deducted per calendar day).  Most major assignments and long-term assignments will NOT be accepted late except in the case of unexpected, excused absences.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Cheating, plagiarism, and sharing or copying homework are not tolerated.  Students are responsible for completing their work independently unless the teacher specifically indicates otherwise.   In such instances of academic dishonesty, a referral to an administrator will be made without exception, and when more than one student is involved, all can expect such action.  Academic dishonesty may also result in a grade of “O” on an assignment.  SENIORS:  An infraction notice of any kind may affect your exam exemption status.

Additional course information:

§         Because the emphasis in this class is not on acting, it is not required.  Students will have several opportunities, however, to participate in dramatizations.  Some projects will require students to present to the class, and all students are expected to participate in reading plays aloud and discussion which follows.

§         Students are required to select one performance per quarter about which they will compose a written assignment.  Mrs. Brown will provide a variety of options from which the student may select.  Students must get approval before writing about a performance that is not on the list.  More information about specific project guidelines will be forthcoming.

§         To get the most out of this class, students are encouraged to see as much live theatre as possible.  The teacher will work toward arranging field trip and/or group rate opportunities as possible.  Students are encouraged to take advantage of such opportunities offered through the GHS Drama club as well.  If your parents would be interested in chaperoning a field trip, please inform your teacher. 

§         Timeline project.  As we progress throughout our survey, we will work together to build a timeline that spans time and cultures.  Students will be assigned specific tasks to contribute to this endeavor. More information about specific project guidelines will be forthcoming.

§         In addition to other extra credit opportunities, students may earn extra credit for successfully contributing to a GHS drama production as a cast, crew, or pit member.

 

 

 

SAT I SCORES 2002

FOR STUDENTS HAVING COURSEWORK/EXPERIENCE IN THE ARTS

 

Course/Experience

Verbal Mean Scores

Math Mean Scores

Total SAT I Score

Acting/Play Production

539

530

1069

Art History/Appreciation

515

517

1032

Dance

509

508

1017

Drama: Study or Appreciation

531

522

1053

Music: Study or Appreciation

537

537

1074

Music Performance

530

535

1065

Photography/Film

524

526

1050

Studio Art/Design

522

528

1050

NONE

473

494

967

 

Virginia Standards of Learning for Theatre Arts*

*Only SOLs relevant to this class have been listed.

 

TI.1     The student will recognize that theatre is an ensemble art while developing communication strategies and problem solving through group interaction and artistic collaboration.

TI.6  The student will demonstrate how theatre is similar to and different from other literary genres and art forms.

TI.7  The student will make connections between theatre and other curricular areas.

TI.8     The student will reflect on life in historical times, places, and cultures.

TI.9     The student will give and integrate constructive criticism.

TI.10  The student will read, analyze, and respond to selected dramatic literature.

TI.11  The student will view and analyze live performances and make informed responses.

TI.12  The student will describe how theatrical activity can entertain, instruct, and interpret human experience.

TI.13  The student will describe the elements of a theatrical experience that evokes a personal aesthetic response, describe the response, and explain why.

TII.2      The student will collaborate with others to create theatre projects and productions.

TII.8  The student will demonstrate skill in communicating concepts and information through the study of theatre arts.

TII.9  The student will identify major stylistic movements and the connections to historical periods including classical, Renaissance, Elizabethan, modern, and contemporary.

TII.10  The students will trace the development of technical theatre.

TII.11  The students will describe how theatre is similar to or different from other art forms, other fields of knowledge, and literary genres

TII.12  The student will give and receive constructive criticism.

TII.13  The student will read, analyze, and respond to selected dramatic literature

TII.14  The student will analyze how theatre is similar to and different from other literary genres and art forms.

TII.15  The student will describe personal responses to theatrical productions in terms of the qualities of the production as a whole.

TII.16  The student will respond to dramatic literature in terms of aesthetic philosophies, including classical, modern, and non-Western.

 

 

Other Relevant Virginia SOLs:

English 9.5  The student will read dramatic selelctions.

English 10.6  The student will read and critique dramatic selections.

English 11.6  The student will read a variety of dramatic selections.

English 12.6  The student will read and critique dramatic selections from a variety of authors.

World History 9.2  The student will analyze the patterns of social, economic, and political change and cultural achievement in the late Medieval period.

World History 9.3  The student will analyze the historical developments of the Renaissance.

World History 9.7  The student will analyze the scientific, political, and economic changes of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.

World History 9.9  The student will analyze and explain the effects of the Industrial Revolution.